This invention relates to device for facilitating the cutting of food products into slices, and in particular, to an indexing assembly which allows the user to select a predetermined thickness for each slice.
It is often desirable to slice food products, such as homemade and uncut bakery, into consistent, even slices with the use of a knife alone, As such, cutting aids have been developed to facilitate the slicing of such food products.
Heretofore, a prior bread cutting aid has included a bakery board upon which the bread is set. A pair of opposing knife guides extend from opposite sides of the bread board. Each knife guide includes an elongated slot in axial alignment with the slot in the opposite knife guide. A knife extends through the slots which guide the knife when cutting the bakery.
The thickness of the slice is controlled by an indexing assembly. The assembly includes a rotatable indexing disc and a knob to facilitate rotation of the disc so as to abut the disc, and a portion of the bakery extends inbetween the slots in the knife guides. By rotating the knob, the disc rotates and simultaneously moves in a longitudinal direction along the surface of the bakery board such that the end of the bakery is urged along the surface of the bakery board toward the slots in the knife guide. In this manner, by rotating the indexing disc and positioning the indexing disc at a predetermined location along the surface of the bakery board, the thickness of the slice of bakery to cut by the knife is selected.
When turned to the proper preselected position, the indexing disc of the indexing assembly must be maintained in that position along the surface of the bakery board in order to insure a straight and an accurate slice of bakery. In addition, further rotation of the indexing disc must be prevented in order to prevent further longitudinal movement of the indexing disc. This, in turn, insures consistency in the thickness of each slice of bakery. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an adjustable bakery slicer, having an indexing assembly which simultaneously prevents rotational and axial movement of the indexing disc upon selection of a predetermined thickness for the slice of bakery.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide an adjustable food product slicer having an indexing assembly which simultaneously prevents rotational and axial movement of the indexing disc upon selection of a predetermined thickness for a slice of food product, such as bakery.
It is an additional object and feature of the present invention to provide an adjustable food product slicer which is simple to operate and inexpensive to manufacture.
An adjustable food product slicer is provided to facilitate the cutting of a food product into slices. The slicer includes a board extending along a longitudinal axis. The board includes a pair of sides interconnected by a support surface. A pair of opposing knife guides extend from distinct sides of the board. Each knife guide includes an elongated slot which lies in a plane which is generally perpendicular to the support surface of the board. A support interconnects the pair of knife guides.
An indexing disc is also provided. The indexing disc is rotatable about and movable along a second longitudinal axis, parallel to and spaced from the longitudinal axis along which the board extends. The indexing disc includes a rearward surface orientated toward the support and a forward surface for engaging the food product to be sliced.
An indexing ramp is secured to the support. The indexing ramp includes a sloped surface which extends away from the support and toward the rearward surface of the indexing disc. Notches are provided in the sloped surface for receipt of an indexing pin which extends from the rearward surface of the indexing disc toward the support. Means are provided for biasing the indexing disc towards the support.
In operation, the indexing disc is rotated such that the indexing pin aligns with a distinct notch on the sloped surface of the indexing ramp. The pin is urged into the notch which, in turn, prevents rotation of the indexing disc about the second longitudinal axis and prevents axial movement along the second longitudinal axis. Each notch corresponds to a predetermined axial distance between the forward face of the indexing disc and the plane in which the slots lie. By seating the indexing pin in a different notch, the distance between the forward face of the indexing disc and the knife slots is changed. This, in turn, allows the user to preselect the thickness of the slice.